72 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 2. 



that event, we shall be obliged to fill up with 

 Irishmen and northern laborers, or leave the soil 

 of the state comparatively stript of labor. In the 

 mean time, however, let us preserve our sobriety, 

 our industry, and our morality; enjoying the pre- 

 sent advantages of high prices, without rushing 

 into schemes and adventures of a wild and reck- 

 less character, under the vain belief that these 

 times are to last forever. Sooner or later, if prices 

 rise above the natural level, they must come down 

 by a process which I have already pointed out. 

 If cotton shall fall speedily, or if a superabundant 

 corn crop shall be made this year, these extrava- 

 gant prices would be checked at once. And we 

 must recollect too, that the Bank of the United 

 States is quickly to wind up, and if its curtailment 

 shall be very rapid, it may force the whole bank- 

 ing system of the country to contract its accom- 

 modation, and thus perhaps to give a shock once 

 more to public confidence. At all events, let us 

 remember the moral of the famous epitaph — "I 

 was well — I wished to be better — and here I am/' 



3Iay 21, 1835. 



From the Silk Culturist. 

 LOCUST AND MULBERRY TREES. 



The Massachusetts Society for promoting Ag- 

 riculture, have awarded to Mr. William Clark, Jr. 

 of Northampton, a premium of #20 lor a planta- 

 tion of locust trees. The timber ol locust is in- 

 valuable on account of its durability. It is sought 

 for by ship builders and the government price for 

 it has been as high as seventy five cents a cubic 

 foot. Locust posts, set in the ground have been 

 known to last upwards of half a century. It is 

 also excellent for fuel. Though the rapid growth 

 of this tree, and its great value renders it a prime 

 object of cultivation, yet the mulberry will be 

 found to be altogether more profitable. lis growth 

 is as rapid — its timber is as valuable, and, in addi- 

 tion to both, its foliage will yield a large annual 

 profit in rearing silk worms. We are credibly in- 

 formed, that mulberry posts, of the ordinary 

 length and size for fences, have been sold in New 

 Haven for $3 a piece. Every farmer may dou- 

 ble the value of his farm in ten years, by culti- 

 vating the white mulberry tree, ibr the sole pur- 

 pose of timber and fuel. 



From the Maine Farmer. 

 LICE ON CATTLE NEW WAY TO KILL THEM. 



For some wise reason or other, it has pleased 

 providence to create a set of animals in the shape 

 of what are commonly called lice, to live upon 

 other animals. These are often troublesome to 

 farmers. An animal infested with them cannot 

 thrive, keep him ever so well, as another animal 

 kept in the same way that is not infested with 

 them. The natural history, that is, the habits and 

 characteristics of these animals, is not well under- 

 stood — how long they are in the egg, for they are 

 oviparous — how long it is before they come to ma- 

 turity and can propagate — how many eggs a fe- 

 male can lay at a time — how long they live if not 

 molested — what they like best and what they hate 

 worst — are questions which every farmer ought 

 to know how to answer, and which we doubt if 

 one in the world can answer. Farmers have dif- 

 ferent modes of destoying them. Unguontum, or 



anguintom as we Yankees too often say, will kill 

 them, and oftentimes the cattle too. It is a prep- 

 aration of mercury and poison. Bacon fat will 

 kill them. Tobacco juice will kill the old ones 

 and hatch the eggs if put on warm, to our certain 

 knowledge, and oftentimes make the animal to- 

 bacco sick — no pleasant feeling. All these prep- 

 arations are somewhat troublesome to apply, es- 

 pecially the tobacco juice, because the beast must 

 be sopped in the gravy of the, Indian weed. 



We have been informed that. Capt. John Haines 

 of Readfield, has discovered what to us, is a new 

 remedy, and we presume is so to others. It is 

 simply the application of tar in a lew spots about 

 the body of the animal troubled with them, and it 

 proves sure destruction to them. If this is a fact, 

 the discovery is a very important one. 



ON ORCHARD GRASS. 



To the Editor of the Farmers- Register. 



Henrico, 9th May, 1835. 



If no better reply to the queries of H. P. R. (in 

 the Register for this month) "on Orchard Grass," 

 (Dactylis Glomerata) should offer, perhaps the 

 following observations may be useful to him. Al- 

 though I have, seen this grass extensively and 

 successfully cultivated in this country, yet as my 

 practical experience of it was obtained in Scot- 

 land, I shall here give him a statement of the way 

 in which I have there cultivated it, and have seen 

 it done to a considerable extent by others. There 

 we trenerally sow the. seed in the month of March, 

 at the rate of from one and a half to two bushels; 

 per acre, with from eight to ten lbs. of red clover 

 seed, (if sown alone, two and a half bushels I be- 

 lieve would not be too much,) having previously 

 steeped the seed in water from six to eight hours.- 

 Some prefer moistening the seed by merely sprink- 

 ling with water, and keeping it in a damp state 

 fir nearly two days. This method, I think, is objec- 

 tionable; as in that state it is very liable to heat, 

 unless great care be taken of it. After being thus 

 steeped, the seed very easily and speedily takes' 

 root. The ground should be well cleaned, and the 

 seed carefully covered in with a light harrow. It 

 has been supposed not to succeed well when 

 sown down with a grain crop; but I have had It 

 sown both with wheat and barley, and always 

 succeeded in having a good crop the succeeding 

 season, which was generally cut for hay. It is 

 a very early grass, and in order to make good hay 

 of it, it should be cut before it gets fully ripe. 

 This must be regulated according to the seasons, 

 and the judgement of the farmer. It will be found 

 generally to succeed well in any soil that, will 

 bring a tolerable crop of clover. It is well known 

 as a very valuable pasture grass both ibr sheep 

 and milch cows; and when early pasturage, or 

 soiling is an object, it will be found to be of great 

 importance. When intended to be cut for hay, it 

 should neither be cut nor pastured the preceding 

 season later than the middle of August — perhaps 

 in this country a month later. 



I shall conclude with an extract ol a letter from 

 Mr. Falla, Seedsman, Newcastle, England, to Sir 

 John Sinclair as published in the English Farm- 

 er's Register. When speaking of the produce of 

 the seed of the orchard grass sown on a square 

 yard as an experiment, in a corner of his nursery 

 ground, hesays, "in the spring of 1814, it had so 

 abundant and beautiful an appearance, that I was 



